Cycle Route Signs

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance his Department has issued on the requirement for local highway authorities to erect cycle route signs on highways; and on what date the guidance was published.

Stephen Ladyman: There is no specific requirement for authorities to erect cycle route signs. However, the Department issued a Local Transport Note LTN 2/87 "Signs for Cycle Facilities" in November 1987.
	General guidance on the complete range of traffic signs is contained in the Traffic Signs Manual.

Railways

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many times nuclear flasks have been transported by rail in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: This information is available in a report commissioned last year by this Department entitled "Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material in the UK by Road and Rail", reference NRPB-W66. Copies of this report have been placed in the House Library and are available on the internet at the following address:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/w_series_reports/2005/nrpb_w66.htm

Railways

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates the Department has made of the amount of nuclear waste that has been transported by rail in each of the last 10 years; and how much he expects to be transported by rail in the next five years.

Derek Twigg: This Department does not hold detailed information on quantities of radioactive waste transported.
	Information on shipments of radioactive waste by rail is available in a report commissioned last year by this Department entitled "Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material in the UK by Road and Rail", reference NRPB-W66. Copies of this report have been placed in the House Library and are available on the internet at the following address:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/w_series_reports/2005/nrpb_w66.htm

Departmental Leave (Stress)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people have been on sick leave suffering from stress in her Department in each of the last three years; and what percentage of the total staff number this represents.

Jim Knight: During 2005 there were 180 members of staff in DEFRA (including State Veterinary Service, Government Decontamination Service and Marine Fisheries Agency) who were absent sick, giving "stress" as the reason. This represents 2.4 per cent. of the 7,573 staff.
	Figures for preceding years are not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department takes the management of stress seriously and has recently changed the way in which employees and managers are supported, by introducing an employee assistance programme (EAR) to ensure employees have 24-hour access to professional support services as required.
	In terms of education and prevention, the Department's Occupational Support and Advisory Team has been undertaking mini-audits of business units against the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) Management Standards for Stress.
	The team also maintain a website dedicated to stress related issues, and present a series of road-shows (including regional offices) to provide practical advice on the subject directly to staff.

Energy Efficiency

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research her Department has undertaken to compare energy efficiency rates in the UK with other European Union countries.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 24 April 2006
	Only recently has work begun to develop "proper" indicators of energy efficiency changes, rather than using energy intensity as a proxy. Existing information on whole economy energy intensity is published on a consistent basis across the 25 member states and is available at:
	http://epp.eurostat.cec.eu.int/portal/page?_pageid=1996,3914 0985&_dad=portal&_schma=PORTAL&screen=detailref& language=en&product=EU_strind&root=EU_strind/strind/enviro/en020
	However, energy intensity does not paint an accurate picture of efficiency gains as it includes structural changes as well as efficiency improvements.
	Defra has already developed an efficiency indicator for UK housing, as a contribution to the work of the interdepartmental Joint Working Group on Energy and the Environment. Information is available at:
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/environment/jwgee/0422.pdf
	Work is also under way on similar types of indicators for the UK industry and service sectors, although a lack of suitable data are delaying progress.
	In parallel, EU-wide work on energy efficiency across the EU-15 member states is being taken forward through the 'ODYSSEE' project. Defra and DTI jointly fund a consultancy to represent UK interests. Information on energy efficiency performance to 2003 for each member state is available at:
	http://www.odyssee-indicators.org/Publication/country_profiles.html
	Note:
	ODYSSEE data are not official statistics compiled and checked by the national statistical offices of member states.

Government Offices (Energy Consumption)

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the Government's policy on the reduction of energy consumption in its offices; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government estate is the main vehicle for systematically assessing, reporting and improving Government performance in managing its own land and buildings in a sustainable way. It sets cross-Government targets in all key operational areas, including energy consumption.
	The Sustainable Development Commission's report, 'Leading by Example? Not Exactly . . . ' was published in December 2005. This reported on departmental performance against a range of sustainable operational targets within the framework.
	The Government accept that more needs to be done to improve its overall operational performance including its own energy consumption. The UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy (Securing the Future, March 2005) included a commitment to review the framework and make proposals for achieving a significant change in operational performance. We are currently taking forward work in this area, and challenging new departmental energy targets will be published this summer.

Departmental Staff

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many and what proportion of (a) staff and (b) new staff employed in (i) his Department and (ii) each of the agencies for which he has responsibility were registered as disabled in each of the last three years for which data are available.

Don Touhig: Departmental records of disabled staff are solely based on voluntary declarations of disability under the Disability Discrimination Act and not connected to a formal register of disability.
	The following table gives the civilian staff headcount strength and details of disabled staff, employed by the Ministry of Defence, as recorded at 1 April 2004 and 1 April 2005. Comparisons between agencies should be treated with caution due to the different response rates for self declaration. Data prior to 1 April 2004 has not been published and are not available due to insufficient quality.
	
		
			  Headcount 
			 Ministry of Defence: by Agency April 2004 total Declared disabled Declared not disabled Unknown Disabled personnel as a percentage (exec. unknown) 
		
		
			 Ministry of Defence (Less Agencies) 41,640 1,620 22,780 17,240 6.6 
			   
			 Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency 170 10 110 50 5.9 
			 Army Training and Recruitment Agency 4,100 220 2,190 1,690 9.0 
			 British Forces Post Office 370 20 140 210 10.1 
			 Defence Analytical Services Agency 180 10 110 70 5.2 
			 Defence Bills Agency 640 40 340 250 10.2 
			 Defence Communications Service Agency 3,230 130 1,790 1,310 6.9 
			 Defence Dental Agency(2) 180 — 100 80 1.0 
			 Defence Estates(3) 2,500 100 1,570 830 5.8 
			 Defence Geographic Imagery Intelligence Agency(4) 850 30 470 340 6.5 
			 Defence Intelligence and Security Centre(5) 160 10 100 50 7.7 
			 Defence Medical and Education Training Agency 610 40 300 280 10.8 
			 Defence Procurement Agency 3,940 130 2,590 1,220 4.7 
			 Defence Storage and Distribution Agency 4,580 290 2,310 1,980 11.1 
			 Defence Transport and Movements Agency 320 10 160 150 6.0 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 340 10 220 110 5.3 
			 Disposal Services Agency 60 — 30 30 9.7 
			 Duke of Yorks Royal Military School 120 — 80 40 2.6 
			 Medical Supply Agency(6) 280 10 130 140 5.1 
			 Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency 6,050 140 3,160 2,750 4.2 
			 Naval Recruiting and Training Agency 1,190 60 640 480 8.4 
			 Pay and Personnel Agency 790 20 460 300 5.1 
			 Queen Victoria School 80 — 30 40 8.6 
			 RAF Training Group Defence Agency 2,390 120 1,360 910 7.8 
			 Service Childrens Education 1,020 10 450 560 1.7 
			 Veterans Agency 910 80 570 250 12.9 
			 Warship Support Agency(7) 5,070 190 2,940 1940 6.2 
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries(8) 2,350 ** ** ** ** 
			   
			 Level 1(9) 84,070 3,290 45,130 33,340 6.8 
			   
			 Army Base Repair Organisation 1,850 120 770 960 13.7 
			 Defence Aviation Repair Agency 3,690 150 2,990 550 4.9 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratories 3,210 60 3,160 — 1.7 
			 Meteorological Office 1,880 70 1,730 80 3.8 
			 UK Hydrographic Office(8) 940 ** ** ** ** 
			 Locally Engaged Civilians(8) 15,430 ** ** ** ** 
			   
			 Level 0(9) 111,080 3,690 53,770 34,930 6.4 
		
	
	
		
			  Headcount 
			 Ministry of Defence: by Agency April 2005 total Declared disabled Declared not disabled Unknown Disabled personnel as a percentage (exec. unknown) 
		
		
			 Ministry of Defence (Less Agencies) 46,340 1,750 28,210 16,380 5.8 
			   
			 Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency 210 10 160 50 3.7 
			 Army Training and Recruitment Agency 4,110 200 2,540 1,370 7.5 
			 British Forces Post Office 340 20 170 160 8.8 
			 Defence Analytical Services Agency 200 10 130 60 4.3 
			 Defence Bills Agency 620 40 380 210 8.9 
			 Defence Communications Service Agency 3,490 140 2,180 1,170 6.0 
			 Defence Estates 2,860 110 1,940 820 5.2 
			 Defence Medical and Education Training Agency 610 40 370 200 8.8 
			 Defence Procurement Agency 3,910 130 2,740 1,040 4.6 
			 Defence Storage and Distribution Agency 4,490 310 2,900 1,280 9.7 
			 Defence Transport and Movements Agency 350 10 220 120 5.1 
			 Defence Vetting Agency 330 10 230 80 5.7 
			 Disposal Services Agency 60 — 40 30 2.7 
			 Duke of Yorks Royal Military School 120 — 80 40 2.5 
			 Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency 7,380 160 4,320 2,900 3.7 
			 Naval Recruiting and Training Agency 1,000 40 630 330 6.7 
			 Pay and Personnel Agency 830 20 560 250 4.0 
			 RAF Training Group Defence Agency 2,300 110 1,520 670 6.5 
			 Service Childrens Education 1,100 — 600 490 0.8 
			 Veterans Agency 850 90 580 190 13.0 
			 Royal Fleet Auxiliaries(8) 2,350 ** ** ** ** 
			   
			 Level 1(9) 83,880 3,200 50,480 27,840 6.0 
			   
			 Army Base Repair Organisation 1,670 110 690 870 13.3 
			 Defence Aviation Repair Agency 3,180 130 3,050 — 4.1 
			 Defence Science and Technology Laboratories 3,320 50 3,270 — 1.6 
			 Meteorological Office 1,810 60 1,650 90 3.7 
			 UK Hydrographic Office(8) 960 ** ** ** ** 
			 Locally Engaged Civilians(8) 15,660 ** ** ** ** 
			   
			 Level 0(9) 110,480 3,560 59,160 28,800 5.7 
		
	
	(2) Army Training and Recruitment Agency was formed in July 1997 by absorbing AITO plus recruiting.
	(3) Known as the Defence Postal and Courier Services Agency until 1 July 1999.
	(4) Defence Analytical Services Agency formed July 1992.
	(5) Defence Bills Agency was formed in December 1996.
	(6) Defence Communications Service Agency formed April 1998 and absorbed lots of bits from DGIC, CHOTS, RAF Comms, RAFSEE and LISA.
	(7) Defence Dental Agency was formed February 1996. Ceased Agency status on 1 April 2005.
	(8) Known as the Defence Estates Organisation until 1 March 1999 and subsequently merged with Defence Housing Executive on 1 April 2005.
	(9) Level 1 is defined as civilian permanent and casual personnel employed by the department and the Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. Level 0 all those at Level 1 plus staff in the Trading Funds and Locally Engaged Civilians. The revised definitions of civilian personnel are used throughout, full details of which are available on the DASA website at www.dasa.mod.uk
	Notes:
	1. Figures quoted are headcount.
	2. All figures are rounded to the nearest 10, as a result totals may not always equal the sum of the parts. For visibility rounding has only been applied to figures of 10 and above.
	3. Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency was formed in April 1997.
	4. Defence Geographic Imagery Intelligence Agency formed April 2000 and included JARIC and Mil Survey. In April 2005 was absorbed into the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI).
	5. Defence Intelligence and Security Centre was formed October 1996. In April 2005 was absorbed into the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI).
	6. Defence Medical Education and Training Agency was launched on 1 April 2003, and subsumed the Defence Medical Training Organisation and the Defence Secondary Care Agency.
	7. Launched on 1 April 1999 assuming responsibilities of the Specialist Procurement Services Agency.
	Disability data for new staff employed in the department are given as follows. Only the full financial year 2004–05 is currently available.
	
		Number and proportion of new staff employed within Ministry of Defence
		
			 Financial year Declared disabled Declared not disabled Unknown Disabled personnel as a percentage (exec. unknown) 
		
		
			 2004–05 90 8,720 610 1.0 
		
	
	Notes
	1. Data relate only to staff who have declared a disability and whose disability was recorded centrally at the time of commencing employment with the department.
	2. New staff to the department have been classified to include recruited, reinstated/re-hired, loaned and transferred from other Government Departments.
	3. The proportion of staff with disabilities is calculated only from the numbers where a disability status declaration has been made by the individual.

Abortion and Poverty

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2006, Official Report, column 182W, on abortion and poverty, 
	(1)  how (a) hon. Members, (b) Members of the House of Lords and (c) members of the public are able to obtain copies of the booklet Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what terms and conditions were set in requesting the International Planned Parenthood Federation to produce the booklet Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty; how many copies his Department obtained; to whom they were sent; how much was spent on (a) postage and packing and (b) officials' time in dealing with the publication; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whom he consulted before requesting the International Planned Parenthood Federation to produce the booklet Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty; what views were expressed; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  when the statement by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in the foreword to the booklet Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty was drafted; by whom; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I asked the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) to survey the global scene on unsafe abortion, which resulted in the report "Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty". No specific terms and conditions were set in making this request. The report provides an overview of the current situation regarding unsafe abortion around the world. Without stopping unsafe abortion, which causes over 13 per cent. of all maternal deaths, the Millennium Development Goal to lower maternal mortality by 2015 is unlikely to be met.
	DFID was not involved in the production or printing of the booklet which was undertaken by the IPPF. I agreed to write the foreword given the pressing need for an open and informed discussion on this issue. The foreword was written by officials and agreed by Ministers. No outside consultation was undertaken or required as the DFID policy position with regard to abortion is already established.
	DFID obtained 150 copies of the booklet for internal distribution only. DFID is not involved in the distribution which is the responsibility of the IPPF from whom copies of the booklet can be obtained. I have arranged for copies of the document entitled 'Death and Denial; Unsafe Abortion and Poverty' which has been produced by the IPPF, to be placed in the Libraries of the House. I am sure that the IPPF would provide copies of the report to interested members of the public requesting it.
	It is not possible to provide an estimate of the cost of officials' time in dealing with all aspects of the production of the booklet, from advice to Ministers, responding to correspondence and parliamentary questions, without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the financial situation of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 24 April 2006
	The UK recognises that the funding gap which exists for the 2006 and 2007 replenishment period poses a challenge. At present US$46 million is available for Round 6 of the Global Fund, but approximately US$1 billion is needed to enable new grants to be approved and fully funded in 2006. This is a substantial funding gap for the 2006–07 replenishment period.
	There will be a mid-term review of the Global Fund's replenishment process in June. This will be an opportunity for the international community to review further, the Global Fund's performance and urge new and existing donors to put in more money. The UK has pledged £359 million to the Global Fund for 2002 to 2008. This exceeds our "fair share" based on gross national income, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Global Fund. The UK will continue to encourage other donors to provide additional support to fill the funding gap. In particular, we will be encouraging support from the oil producing countries and calling for a greater effort by the private sector.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what position the UK will take regarding the launch of a Round 6 of grants at the Global Fund's next board meeting at the end of April; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 24 April 2006
	The UK will support the launch of Round 6 at the April board. At present US$46 million is available for Round 6, but approximately US$1 billion is needed to enable new grants to be approved and fully funded in 2006.
	The UK has pledged £359 million to the Global Fund for 2002 to 2008. Last September, we doubled our commitment to the Global Fund for 2006 and 2007 to £100 million per year. This exceeds our "fair share" based on gross national income, and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to the Global Fund. Other donors need to do more to meet their share of Global Fund resources and the UK will continue to encourage them to provide additional support to fill the funding gap. In particular, we will be encouraging support from the oil producing countries and calling for a greater effort by the private sector.

Sao Tomé

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the discovery of oil in Sao Tomé on poverty reduction.

Hilary Benn: DFID has no bilateral programme with Sao Tomé, and has not made a direct assessment of the impact of the discovery of oil on poverty reduction. Over the past two years, Sao Tomé and Principe has moved to open the country to oil exploration and development. The Joint Development Zone (JDZ) with Nigeria is the first area to be explored. In June 2004, the Presidents signed the Abuja Declaration requesting that all oil operations in this zone follow strict transparency principles, including the publication of all state payments in accordance with the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). We encourage the adoption of these principles which will help promote poverty reduction along with good governance and transparency.
	In December 2004, President Fradique de Menezes of Sao Tomé and Principe signed a Revenue Management Law. In anticipation of significant oil revenues, this Law promotes transparency and establishes detailed measures to ensure responsible management of petroleum wealth. In January 2005, Sao Tomé signed the first Production Sharing Contract, setting a new standard through a clause on transparency that makes specific mention of the EITI principles. This clause is expected to become a precedent for future contracts in the JDZ and in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Sao Tomé and Principe.
	The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank estimate that Sao Tomé is likely to reach heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) completion point in 2006, which indicates that the country is broadly on track in terms of improving economic and fiscal governance, with an adequate strategy for reducing poverty.

South Africa

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the prevalence of alcohol abuse in South Africa; and what steps he is taking to support the government of South Africa in tackling alcohol and drug abuse.

Hilary Benn: The South African Medical Research Council is the primary agency measuring the nature and extent of alcohol use and its associated consequences. It has detailed information concerning its impact on mortality, trauma and violence and risky sexual activity that increases the risk of HIV. For example, recent studies in Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth (PE) have found that:
	45 per cent. of all non-natural deaths had high blood alcohol concentrations. Levels of alcohol were particularly high for transport-related deaths and homicides.
	39 per cent. of trauma patients had high breath alcohol concentrations. 73 per cent. of patients with violence-related injuries in Port Elizabeth had levels above the legal limit for driving.
	Between 33 per cent. and 50 per cent. of crimes categorised as "family violence" were committed by people who were reported to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the alleged offence.
	DFID does not provide support to the Government of South Africa to address alcohol abuse. Our support for the health sector concentrates on HIV prevention and care as the priority area of intervention.
	For more information on alcohol and drug abuse in South Africa, the South African Medical Research Council provides useful additional information at www.mrc.ac.za

Bankruptcies

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals have declared themselves bankrupt in each year since 1997, broken down by age.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Figures quoted in the following table relate to England and Wales. Bankruptcy figures make up only part of the headline individual insolvency series, which also includes individual voluntary arrangements (IVA's) and deeds of arrangement. These figures are not analysed by age, however, the Insolvency Service has recently published the report "Characteristics of a Bankrupt", which includes information by age group for financial years 2001–02 to 2004–05 and is available here:
	http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvencyprofessionandlegislation/policychange/cob.pdf
	
		
			  Total Bankruptcy orders IVA's and deeds of arrangement 
		
		
			 1997 24,441 19,892 4,549 
			 1998 24,549 19,647 4,902 
			 1999 28,806 21,611 7,195 
			 2000 29,528 21,550 7,978 
			 2001 29,775 23,477 6,298 
			 2002 30,587 24,292 6,295 
			 2003 35,604 28,021 7,583 
			 2004 46,650 35,898 10,752 
			 2005 67,580 47,287 20,293

Photovoltaic Industry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual budgets for (a) the Clear Skies and (b) the Solar Photovoltaics Major Demonstration programmes was in each of the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department did not allocate annual budgets for the Clear Skies and Major Demonstration PV programmes. The Clear Skies programme had a £13,250,000 budget over the last three years and the Major PV Demonstration programme had a £31,750,000 budget over the last four years. The amount of grant committed in each year over the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   £ 
			  Clear Skies MDP PV 
		
		
			 2003–04 4,406,040 7,950,643 
			 2004–05 4,337,485 8,253,471 
			 2005–06 3,472,715 9,425,805

Stress Laminated Timber

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to ensure there are test facilities in the UK large enough to fire test a new form of stress laminated timber (SLT).

Jim Fitzpatrick: I have been asked to reply.
	The testing of construction materials falls within ODPM policy responsibilities. The DTI does not directly support the establishment or maintenance of fire test facilities. There are several testing halls within the UK capable of undertaking large scale testing of stress laminated timber.

Women in Work

Edward Balls: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of women in (a) Wakefield district and (b) Normanton constituency are working (i) part-time and (ii) full-time.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the proportion of all women (aged 16 and over) in either full-time or part-time employment 1 , for Wakefield and Normanton. Estimates refer to place of residence and are from the Annual Population Survey from the Office for National Statistics and cover the period from April 2004 to March 2005.
	
		Proportion of all women (aged 16 and over) in either full-time or part-time employment: April 2004-March 2005
		
			 Percentage 
			  Wakefield Normanton 
		
		
			 In employment(16)   
			 Full-time 32 37 
			 Part-time 26 28 
			
			 Not in employment(17) 42 36 
			 All women aged 16 plus 100 100 
		
	
	(16) Employment includes: employees, self-employed, Government employment and training programmes, and unpaid family workers.
	(17) "Not in employment" includes unemployed and economically inactive women.
	Source:
	ONS Annual Population Survey

Sentencing Guidelines Council

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the likely impact of the Sentencing Guidelines Council on the size of the (a) probation and (b) prisons case load over the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Published projections of future workloads for prison and probation take into account legislative and other changes with an agreed timetable. This includes the new sentences under the Criminal Justice Act 2003 where the Sentencing Guidelines Council (SGC) guideline, published in December 2004, has been taken into account in estimating the likely impacts on workloads. The "Updated and revised prison populations projections: 2005–2011 England and Wales (HOSB 10/05)" were published in July 2005. There may be impacts from future SGC guidelines on specific offences, but until these have been finalised and published, it is not possible to take account of them in our estimates.

Incapacity Benefit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many of those making an incapacity benefit claim on grounds of (a) certain infectious and parasitic diseases, (b) neoplasms, (c) diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism, (d) endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases, (e) mental and behavioural disorders, (f) diseases of the nervous system, (g) diseases of the eye and adnexa, (h) diseases of the ear and mastoid process, (i) diseases of the circulatory system, (j) diseases of the respiratory system, (k) factors influencing health status and contact with health services, (l) diseases of the digestive system, (m) diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system, (n) diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue, (o) diseases of the genitourinary system, (p) pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, (q) certain conditions originating in the perinatal period, (r) congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities, (s) symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified and (t) injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes; were disallowed following a personal capability assessment in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: The available information is in the table.
	
		Incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance terminations following personal capability assessments; Great Britain
		
			  Year ending 31 August: 
			  2003 2004 2005 
		
		
			 All cases 98,700 98,800 108,300 
			 Unknown diagnosis 1,300 1,500 900 
			 Certain infectious and parasitic diseases 500 600 900 
			 Neoplasms 700 800 1,100 
			 Diseases of the blood and blood forming organs and certain diseases involving the immune mechanism 400 400 200 
			 Endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases 1,500 1,400 1,600 
			 Mental and behavioural disorders 33,400 32,800 39,100 
			 Diseases of the nervous system 2,100 2,500 2,300 
			 Diseases of the eye and adnexa 500 600 500 
			 Diseases of the ear and mastoid process 200 300 300 
			 Diseases of the circulatory system 5,900 5,900 5,500 
			 Diseases of the respiratory system 2,000 1,900 1,900 
			 Diseases of the digestive system 2,100 2,100 2,000 
			 Diseases of the skin and subcutaneous system 1,000 800 1,100 
			 Diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue (M00-M99) 18,400 18,800 20,500 
			 Diseases of the genitourinary system 700 900 1,000 
			 Pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium 400 500 500 
			 Certain conditions originating in the perinatal period — — — 
			 Congenital malformations, deformations and chromosomal abnormalities — — — 
			 Symptoms, signs and abnormal clinical and laboratory findings, not elsewhere classified 15,000 14,200 15,700 
			 Injury, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes 11,400 11,800 12,400 
			 Factors influencing health status and contact with health services 1,100 1,000 900 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred. Totals may not sum due to rounding.
	2. "—" means nil or negligible.
	3. Figures include all incapacity benefit (IB) and severe disablement allowance, including IB credits only cases.
	4. Figures for the latest quarter do not include any late notifications and are subject to major changes in future quarters. For illustration purposes, total IB only terminations for May 2004 increased by 33 per cent. in the year following their initial release
	Source:
	Information Directorate, five per cent. samples.

Pathways to Work

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the off-flows from incapacity benefit at six months for each of the pathways to work pilot areas (a) were in the last 12-month period for which figures are available prior to the start of pathways to work and (b) have been since the start of pathways to work.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer on 18 January 2006
	The following table shows the average six month off-flow rate by district for the twelve months immediately prior to the pathways roll-out and the average six month off-flow rate since the pathways roll-out.
	The National Benefits Database does not include a proportion of short term incapacity benefit claims, therefore, the off-flow rates presented will be lower than the actual rates; however, trends over time will be consistent.
	
		
			Percentage 
			  Phase 1 
			  Bridgend Rhondda Cynon and Taff Derbyshire RIAB(18) 
		
		
			 Twelve months prior to pathways 35 33 39 
			 Post pathways rollout 40 38 42 
			 Average increase following pathways rollout 5 5 3 
		
	
	
		Phase 2
		
			  Essex East Lancashire Gateshead and South Tyneside Somerset 
		
		
			 Twelve months prior to pathways 26 37 33 36 
			 Post pathways rollout 35 41 42 40 
			 Average increase following pathways rollout 8 3 9 4 
		
	
	(18) Renfrewshire, Inverclyde, Argyll and Bute
	Note:
	The statistics quoted in this response are taken from the Department's National Benefits Database.

Pensions

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the basic state pension was for (a) single pensioners and (b) pensioner couples in each year since 1997–98; and what the pension will be for each category in 2006–07.

Stephen Timms: The information is in the table.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Basic state pension for a single pensioner Basic state pension for a pensioner couple 
		
		
			 1997–98 62.45 99.80 
			 1998–99 64.70 103.40 
			 1999–2000 66.75 106.70 
			 2000–01 67.50 107.90 
			 2001–02 72.50 115.90 
			 2002–03 75.50 120.70 
			 2003–04 77.45 123.80 
			 2004–05 79.60 127.25 
			 2005–06 82.05 131.20 
			 2006–07 84.25 134.75 
		
	
	Both members of a pensioner couple are entitled to the full basic category A state pension for a single pensioner if they satisfy the contribution conditions. However, the combination of Category A and Category B (based on the husband's contributions) rates is commonly referred to as the couple's rate and is shown in the table.

World Cup (Complimentary Tickets)

Greg Hands: To ask the Prime Minister how many complimentary tickets his Office has received for games taking place at the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany.

Tony Blair: I have not received any complimentary tickets for World Cup matches taking place in Germany this summer.

Argentina

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Argentina about the prosecution of those guilty of human rights violations during the 1976 to 1983 Dirty War.

Douglas Alexander: The UK and our EU partners welcome the Government of Argentina's decision to tackle impunity and bring to justice those responsible for human rights abuses during the 1976–83 "dirty war". Although my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no recent discussions with the Government of Argentina on the issue, it is a frequent subject of conversation between our embassy officials in Buenos Aires and a wide range of government and non-governmental contacts.

Democratic Republic of Congo

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo on (a) prohibiting physical and sexual abuse of children by law enforcement personnel, (b) creating child protection units in all major cities, (c) outlawing churches which practise abusive child deliverance ceremonies and (d) providing rehabilitative centres for children as an alternative to prison.

Ian Pearson: The UK frequently reminds the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) authorities of the need to protect the rights of all vulnerable groups, especially children, and to bring to justice all perpetrators of abuse. We and EU colleagues have focused on eliminating abuses committed by security personnel. On 23 January, we and international partners presented President Kabila with a dossier of serious abuses committed by Congolese soldiers, which hon. Members of the All Party Parliamentary Group followed up on 6 April. We continue to support the UN Peacekeeping Mission's work in the human rights field, including their child protection units in major cities.
	As part of our presidency of the EU, the UK led an initiative to raise awareness of the problem of so-called "child witches" in DRC. We continue to work with the UN, civil society groups, established churches and the Congolese Government to address this problem and bring those who abuse children to justice. The UK has contributed to training programmes for justice sector workers, which includes training on child protection and the proper treatment of children within the justice system.

Terrorism (Compensation)

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what compensation is available to (a) British citizens who are injured in terrorist attacks abroad and (b) the relatives of those killed; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Those injured abroad, or the relatives or dependants of someone killed abroad, are not currently eligible for compensation under the UK compensation schemes. The Government have been considering the issue of compensation in detail. This was made clear in a consultation paper about the criminal injuries compensation scheme and support for victims of crime which the Home Office issued on 7 December 2005, under the title "Rebuilding Lives: supporting victims of crime". The Home Office will make an announcement in due course.
	My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the Budget a £1 million initial endowment to a charitable fund to help the British victims of terrorism. The fund will provide rapid relief to meet the immediate financial needs of those caught up in a terrorist attack, whether in the UK or overseas. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working in consultation with the voluntary sector, partners in Government and victims' groups to finalise the details and will make a further announcement in due course.
	Separately, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has in place a package of immediate assistance measures to help victims of terrorism overseas and their families in the immediate aftermath of a terrorist incident overseas.

Uzbekistan

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of political instability in Uzbekistan on (a) European security and (b) stability and security in central Asia.

Douglas Alexander: We continue to follow closely the political situation in Uzbekistan. As the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's new White Paper "Active Diplomacy for a Changing World" says, the peaceful transformation of the European continent which promotes security, prosperity and democracy depends upon maintaining the EU's active commitment to engage with neighbours. European countries and the wider international community have an interest in stability in Uzbekistan and the region. We believe the best way of maintaining stability in the region is by encouraging substantive democratic and economic reform.

Child Tax Credit

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the savings to the Exchequer from tapering away the family element of the child tax credit for incomes between £30,000 and £38,000; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The current second income threshold is £50,000. The estimated saving from reducing the second income threshold to £30,000, holding all other rates constant, is £0.8 billion. Around £1.5 million families would see their tax credit award reduced as a result of such a change.

Council Tax

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 9 February 2006, Official Report, column 1419W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), on council tax, on what dates each of the current 66 value significant codes were first collected

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	Value significant codes (VSCs) record the existence of a feature that may affect value—but whether a particular feature does affect value in any individual case is a question of fact or degree.
	The capability to input VSCs electronically was introduced from March 2003, at which time there were 13 codes. These were expanded to 66 in January 2005. Information about features that are "value significant" has always been collected as part of the process of arriving at fair bandings for council tax purposes, but has not previously been recorded electronically. However there is no mass data collection process under way, nor are VSCs being used to amend existing council tax bands.

Income Tax

Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people with (a) salaries and (b) income generating business who did not earn enough to pay income tax in each of the last 10 years for which records are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The estimated number of people with self-employment income who have no income tax liability is shown in the following table for the period 1996–97 to 2005–06. Data on the number of employees who did not earn enough to pay income tax is not held.
	
		
			  Thousand 
			 Year(21) Number of self-employed non-taxpayers(22) 
		
		
			 1996–97 606 
			 1997–98 638 
			 1998–99 642 
			 1999–2000 747 
			 2000–01 614 
			 2001–02 863 
			 2002–03 884 
			 2003–04 822 
			 2004–05(23) 774 
			 2005–06(23) 779 
		
	
	(21) Estimates obtained from the survey of personal incomes. Estimates for later years should be more accurate and subject to less sampling variation, due to the sample size of the survey increasing from around 50,000 in 1996–97 to over 400,000 by 2002–03.
	(22) A person can be both employed and self-employed in the tax year.
	(23) Estimates from the 2003–04 survey of personal incomes and projected forward in line with March 2006 Budget assumptions.

Parish Councils

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will ensure that parish meetings have the same VAT status in relation to works carried out on their behalf as parish councils.

Ivan Lewis: Parish, meetings, unlike parish councils, are not regarded as local authorities. The question of extending the VAT relief given to local authorities to parish meetings has been looked at many times. In general, the amounts of tax involved would be exceeded by the cost of administration and processing each claim. For this reason, successive Governments have concluded that a change in the law would result in disproportionate costs and could not be justified.
	I have instructed my officials to explore with parish meetings, relevant representative bodies and other stakeholders whether this remains the case.
	However, a different solution is possible. I understand that, under Section 9 of the Local Government Act 1972, a parish meeting can request its district council to establish a parish council for the parish, which is able to recover VAT under the provisions of Section 33 of the VAT Act 1994.

PFI/PPP Contracts

Adam Price: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether, in Table 1.10 and Tables 8.10 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2005, Cm 6521, the capital includes the capital expenditure elements of private finance initiative and public private partnership contracts.

Des Browne: PFI/PPP deals may be on or off the government's balance sheet depending on where the balance of risks in the project lies. The decision as to whether a deal is treated as on or off balance sheet is taken by the National Audit Office in the case of central government projects, and the Audit Commission in the instance of local government projects.
	Where he NAO or Audit Commission judge that projects are on balance sheet, Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) capital expenditure includes the capital expenditure imputed to the public sector, where appropriate for the coverage of each statistical table. For off balance sheet projects, where the asset economically as well as legally belongs to the private sector, the capital expenditure is the private sector's and is not included in PESA 2005, the same as in previous years.

Public Sector Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the Answer of 2 March 2006, Official Report, column 388, on public sector pensions, and the technical note placed in the Library, if he will break down the amount referred to in paragraph 8 by scheme; how the error came to be made; and what steps have been taken to prevent a recurrence.

Des Browne: Prior Year Adjustments of £6 billion recorded in the scheme accounts for 2004–05 breakdown as follows:
	
		
			  £ billion 
		
		
			 Armed Forces Pension Scheme -0.4 
			 NHS Pension Scheme (E&W) 3.0 
			 NHS Pension Scheme (Scotland) 3.5 
			 Teachers Pension Scheme (E&W) -0.5 
			 Total 5.6 
		
	
	These adjustments arise because new data became available which was not taken into account in earlier estimates. These primarily related to deferred pensions and guaranteed minimum pensions in NHSPS (England and Wales). Details for the other schemes are given in their resource accounts: Armed Forces (HC 286), Teachers Pension Scheme (HC 627).
	Responsibility for NHSPS (Scotland) is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
	Schemes keep their data and administration systems under regular review.

IRA

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the IRA's commitment to exclusively peaceful and democratic means.

Shaun Woodward: The IMC Report published earlier today states it is
	"their absolutely clear view that the IRA leadership has committed itself to following a peaceful path."

Decommissioning

Angela Watkinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the quantity of arms and explosives put beyond use by the Provisional IRA in each of the acts of decommissioning that took place between October 2001 and September 2005.

Peter Hain: In September last year the IICD witnessed a momentous act of decommissioning, and declared in January that "all the arms under [the IRA's] control were decommissioned in September", under its supervision.
	The 10th Report of the Independent Monitoring Commission published earlier today states that any weapons reported as having been retained "would have been withheld under local control despite the instructions of the leadership". It goes on to say that "the amount of un-surrendered material was not significant in comparison to what was decommissioned."

Ageing Initiative

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of the effectiveness to date of the ageing in an inclusive society initiative.

Angela Smith: The older people's strategy, ''Ageing in an Inclusive Society", which was launched in March 2005, includes an implementation plan for 2005–06 which identifies actions for Northern Ireland Government Departments aimed at, amongst other things, improving the services of older people.
	Good progress has been made throughout the year on implementing these actions and a mid-year progress report was placed in the Libraries of the House. The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister is carrying out an end of year review and will publish a report on the Department's website. Copies of the report—will also be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Craigavon Divisional Planning Office

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when staff vacancies at Craigavon divisional planning office will be filled.

Angela Smith: There are currently two substantive vacancies within the Craigavon divisional planning office and it is anticipated that these will be filled within the next four-six weeks. The planning service management board will continue to monitor the situation and take whatever action is possible to ensure that the Craigavon office has adequate resources to deal with the volume of applications it receives.

Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the (a) costs and (b) receipts were of the driver and vehicle testing years.

Angela Smith: The following table details (a) costs and (b) receipts for the Driver and Vehicle Testing Agency in each of the last five years.
	
		
			   £000 
			  Income Costs 
		
		
			 2000–01 11,261 12,240 
			 2001–02 13,285 12,933 
			 2002–03 18,006 16,816 
			 2003–04 21,454 20,276 
			 2004–05 20,526 21,299

Education and Library Boards

Jeffrey M Donaldson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff are employed centrally by each of the education and library boards in Northern Ireland in (a) human resources, payroll and finance, (b) procurement, (c) ICT, (d) legal services and (e) other roles.

Angela Smith: The following table shows the numbers of staff employed centrally by each of the education and library boards in the functions requested. Figures given have been provided by the boards and relate to full-time equivalent staff employed in headquarters administration (central) functions. They do not therefore include staff employed in the direct provision of education and youth services or staff employed in schools.
	
		
			  Number 
			  Human resources, payroll and finance Procurement ICT Legal services Other 
		
		
			 BELB 71.5 7.8 10.8 2.6 109.1 
			 NEELB 89 9.6 14.3 6 75.6 
			 SELB 108.3 16.7 13.5 4 118.6 
			 SEELB 82 7 7 3 96 
			 WELB 49 11.6 8 5 73.5 
		
	
	Note:
	These figures include staff employed by a lead board to carry out services on behalf of all five boards.

Home Tuition

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting time is for an individual assessment for home tuition for children absent from school due to prolonged illness or disability in each education and library board area.

Angela Smith: The Education and Library Boards do not assess whether pupils absent from school due to prolonged illness or short term disability should receive home tuition. Education and Library Boards arrange home tuition for such pupils on the basis of a recommendation from the medical profession.
	The average waiting time between the receipt of a referral and the commencement of home tuition is 10 working days.
	It should be noted that in more complex medical cases it may be necessary to seek additional information from other medical/educational sources. In such cases the waiting time may be longer.

Housing

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland were registered as being in urgent need of accommodation on the Housing Executive's waiting list at 1 January (a) 2001 and (b) 2006.

David Hanson: Complete figures are not available for 1 January 2001, due to the implementation of the common selection scheme at that time. However, figures for the financial year ending 31 March 2001 show that there were 10,639 applicants in housing stress 1 . For the financial year ending 31 March 2006 the comparative figure was 17,433.
	1 Urgent need is now termed "housing stress", and is made-up of applicants and transfer applicants with 3.0-points or more.

Waterways (Pollution)

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were prosecuted in Northern Ireland between 2000 and 2005 for offences connected with pollution of waterways.

Angela Smith: The number of prosecutions for water pollution offences which occurred during each of the years 2000–05 are as shown.
	Because it can take over a year for a case to come to court, a number of prosecution cases from 2005 and some from 2004 are still pending a verdict in court. These pending prosecutions are included in the figures provided.
	
		
			 Year in which pollution offence occurred Number of prosecutions 
		
		
			 2000 83 
			 2001 109 
			 2002 101 
			 2003 123 
			 2004 (36)63 
			 2005 (37)9 
		
	
	(36) Plus 17 cases pending.
	(37) Plus 51 cases pending.
	It should be noted that, between 1996 and 2005, there was a reduction in the number of water pollution incidents from 2,055 to 1,175, a reduction of some 43 per cent.

Valuation Office Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 28 November 2005, Official Report, column 197W, on council tax revaluation, what targets the Valuation Office Agency has set for collecting dwelling house codes or value significant codes for more domestic properties to maintain valuation lists.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency has set an internal minimum standard for its newly digitised database so that data on the six main dwelling house codes (group, type, age, area, number of rooms and number of bedrooms) is held in electronic, not paper, form for 97 per cent. of dwellings by 30 June 2006.

Capita

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much business her Department has placed with (a) Capita Group plc and (b) its subsidiaries in each of the last five years; what the total value is of outstanding contracts placed with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries by her Department; for which current tenders issued by her Department (i) Capita Group plc and (ii) its subsidiaries have been invited to bid; and whether (A) Capita Group plc and (B) its subsidiaries have seconded staff (1) temporarily and (2) on a longer-term basis to (X) her Department and (Y) its agencies.

Liam Byrne: The total amount spent with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in 2004–05 and to the end of February 2006 for the financial period 2005–06 is shown in the table.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Financial year 
			 Capita subsidiary 2004–05 2005–06(38) 
		
		
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 540,112 314,625 
			 Capita Healthcare Solutions 55,419 62,591 
			 Capita SHG Resourcing Nil 1,002,325 
		
	
	(38) To end of February 2006
	Information prior to 2004–05 is not readily available and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The only outstanding contract is with Capita Health Solutions to provide the Department's occupational health services. The total value of this contract is £195,000.
	We do not hold centrally information that would allow for an analysis of how many tenders Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries have been invited to bid for, and could not obtain this information without incurring disproportionate costs.
	Our records indicate that currently, there are no staff seconded to the Department from Capita Group plc or its subsidiaries.

Capita

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the value of contracts held by her Department with (a) Capita plc and (b) its subsidiaries was in the last three financial years.

Liam Byrne: The total amount spent with Capita Group plc and its subsidiaries in 2004–05 and to the end of February 2006 for the financial period 2005–06 is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Financial year 
			 Capita subsidiary 2004–05 2005–06(39) 
		
		
			 Capita Business Services Ltd. 540,112 314,625 
			 Capita Healthcare Solutions 55,419 62,591 
			 Capita SHG Resourcing Nil 1,002,325 
		
	
	(39) As at 28 February 2006
	Information prior to 2004–05 is not readily available and could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

Late Terminations

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research her Department has commissioned into the impact of late termination of the foetus; and what effect the result of such research has had on policy.

Caroline Flint: The Department has commissioned no research into the impact of late termination of the foetus. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has, however, published various advice for professionals on abortion (including late gestation abortions), including its evidence-based clinical guideline on "The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion".
	It is accepted parliamentary practice that proposals for changes in the law on abortion are made on the basis of free votes. Parliament agreed in 1990 that the legal limit for most abortions should be 24 weeks gestation. The limit remains therefore a matter for Parliament to decide.

NHS Trusts

Ann Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her Department's plans to tackle deficits in NHS trusts in the new financial year.

Jane Kennedy: In 2006–07, the priority will be to restore financial balance in the national health service, although this may not be possible for each and every organisation.
	We are making a number of changes to deal with the financial problems in a minority of organisations, including the following:
	we have increased transparency of reporting so that problems are identified;
	the use of turnaround expertise from the private sector combined with the techniques we have used in the NHS to deliver on other targets such as waiting and accident and emergency. This includes the spread of best practice to all overspending organisations, not just those officially part of the turnaround process; and
	establishing the right culture for financial correction, by:
	changing the incentives, such as: increasing the emphasis in the ratings system on financial management, moving forward with the reform programme of payment by results, and practice based commissioning;
	emphasising the accountability of boards, executives and non-executives, for financial as well as service performance; and
	strengthening the financial challenge function in the Department to ensure that we do not add to the cost burdens.

School Nurses

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how much her Department spent producing the 2006 edition of the "School Nurse: Practice Development Resource Pack"; which organisations her Department consulted prior to publication; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will list the main changes between the 2001 and 2006 editions of the "School Nurse: Practice Development Resource Pack"; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  to whom copies of the 2006 edition of the "School Nurse: Practice Development Resource Pack" were sent; at what cost; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: The Department spent £14,679 producing the "School Nurse: Practice Development Resource Pack". The pack was prepared in consultation with the Royal College of Nursing, Community Practitioner and Health Visitor Association, National Children's Bureau, Nursing and Midwifery Council, Sheffield University and the Department for Education and Skills.
	The original "School Nurse: Practice Development Resource Pack" was published in 2001. It has been updated to reflect the changing policy and health context in which school nurses are now working. It is one product of the work led by the Chief Nursing Officer to promote a modern role for school nurses and to increase the number of school nurses as announced in "Choosing Health". The main changes include an update on Government policy including "Choosing Health, Every Child Matters", the national service framework for children, young people and maternity and healthy schools. It also contains additional information on today's health priorities, such as obesity, smoking and mental health.
	There has been no distribution of this pack. Copies are available from the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk
	A copy is available in the Library.

Tuberculosis

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidences of tuberculosis were identified in each primary care trust in London in (a) 2002–03, (b) 2003–04, (c) 2004–05 and (d) 2005–06; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The data for the calendar years 2002, 2003 and 2004 is shown in the table.
	
		
			 Primary care trusts 2002 2003 2004 
		
		
			 Barking and Dagenham 35 42 43 
			 Barnet 103 102 94 
			 Bexley Care Trust 21 25 29 
			 Brent Teaching 204 217 233 
			 Bromley 24 31 28 
			 Camden 117 106 77 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 144 157 157 
			 Croydon 108 113 119 
			 Ealing 197 187 256 
			 Enfield 80 97 96 
			 Greenwich Teaching 73 72 88 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 82 64 69 
			 Haringey Teaching 139 127 149 
			 Harrow 115 115 99 
			 Havering 19 13 12 
			 Hillingdon 95 116 118 
			 Hounslow 121 98 117 
			 Islington 105 94 89 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 30 51 48 
			 Kingston 18 19 23 
			 Lambeth 159 155 127 
			 Lewisham 91 79 77 
			 Newham 215 246 242 
			 Redbridge 92 110 111 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 14 12 12 
			 Southwark 106 101 133 
			 Sutton and Merton 85 70 85 
			 Tower Hamlets 123 146 118 
			 Waltham Forest 103 99 99 
			 Wandsworth 93 96 96 
			 Westminster 75 89 85 
			 Total 2,986 3,049 3,129 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Since case numbers in some primary care trusts (PCTs) are small, numbers may fluctuate from year-to-year, and thus any apparent 'trends' in the data should be interpreted with caution.
	2. Population estimates for PCTs are only available from 2001 onwards. Data on tuberculosis rates for the years 2001 to 2004 can only be provided.
	3. Data as at 12 April 2006.
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency enhanced tuberculosis surveillance system.

Tuberculosis

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the enhanced tuberculosis surveillance TB incidence rates were for Wandsworth primary care trust for each year since 1998 (a) by rate per 100,000 population and (b) as a mean average over the period; and if she will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The data for the calendar years 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 is shown in the table.
	
		Wandsworth primary care trust: tuberculosis case reports and rates 2001–04
		
			  Cases Rate (per 100,000) Average rate (2001–04) 
		
		
			 2001 51 18.8  
			 2002 93 34.0 30.7 
			 2003 96 35.0  
			 2004 96 34.7  
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The numbers of tuberculosis cases in some primary care trusts (PCTs) across London are small. In view of this, numbers may fluctuate from year to year, and thus any apparent trends in the data should be interpreted with caution. Any apparent trend or comparison between Wandsworth PCT and other PCTs in London has little validity.
	2. Population estimates for PCTs are only available from 2001 onwards. The Health Protection Agency enhanced tuberculosis surveillance (ETS) system started collecting information on the PCT of residence of reported cases during 2003. Population estimates (Office of National Statistics) by PCT are only available from 2001. Wandsworth PCT rates for 2001 and 2002 have been derived retrospectively based on ONS population estimates.
	Source:
	Health Protection Agency ETS system. Data as at 12 April 2006